SIMCA 1100

When it arrived in 1967, the Simca 1100 was a remarkably advanced family car. Five-doors, a roomy hatchback and front-wheel drive were all the ingredients for a successful mid-sized car. And in France, the Simca 1100 certainly did the business, becoming a best-seller. Torsion bar suspension tuned for comfort and eager power units marked out the 1100 as pleasant to drive. In the UK, its tendency towards tappet rattle and rusty bodywork marked it out unfairly as a banger before its time. Few survive as a result, and those that do are worth buttons.